Ho, ho, et cetera. Now that Christmas has come and gone faster than an unsavory one night stand, we can begin to shift our focus on the upcoming new year. 2018 is gearing up to be a year dominated by build-ups and climaxes, if you’ll allow me to continue riding this streak of sexual jokes. But in all seriousness, if the marketing is to be believed, Hollywood is unabashedly placing their biggest, most valuable eggs into the sequel/end-of-franchise basket, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting films to see regardless of whether they’re a new idea or another case of the sequels.

Let’s take a look at what are MY ten most anticipated films coming in 2018. These are in no particular order, but before we do that, an Honorable Mention can be extended to Black Panther, 12 Strong, and The Post (I’m aware it’s technically out now, but since it won’t get a wide release until January, I’ll make the exception).

1. A Prayer Before Dawn

Image via A24

Not much has been said about this upcoming drama film about real-life boxer Billy Moore and his time incarcerated in Thailand, but the first trailer had me hooked. The film was shot on location in Nakhon Pathom Prison and director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire appears to show that he is able to continue bringing his vision of heavy content to the screen like he did with Johnny Mad Dog. A Prayer Before Dawn is scheduled for release on May 19th.

2. God Particle

I’m a big fan of the Cloverfield franchise. The amount of world-building that went into this franchise is admirable and is really worth taking the time to read up about. The first film was a good first-person monster movie and the second was as equally good, even though it rubbed some the wrong way that it had little to do with the first. The latest iteration in the franchise focuses on astronauts aboard a space station that must fight for survival after the Earth vanishes. It seems the J.J. Abrams is content with continuing the franchise by focusing as an anthology rather than a single overarching story, but I’m fine with that. Or could this all actually be building to a story nobody has expected? God Particle comes to theaters on February 2nd.

3. Solo: A Star Wars Story

It’s a Star Wars movie. Did you really think I wouldn’t see it? Solo comes out May 25th.

4. The Predator

Image via 20th Century Fox

Boy howdy do I love the Predator. I also love his equally awesome, penis-faced brethren, the Xenomorph. So imagine my excitement when it had been announced that ol’ Mr. CrabFace was making his triumphant, spine-removing return to the big screen. Director Shane Black has shown that he’s able to inject a good dose of black comedy into his films and also deliver on action, and that shows with his cast choice. The Predator looks to deliver on the violent, action-packed horror front while maintaining a sense of levity when it hits theaters on August 3rd.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

This is it. This is what the MCU has been building toward for the last decade. After 18 films (by the time Infinity War releases) we finally get the galactic showdown we’ve waited for between Thanos and the Avengers. Given how monumental this is for the MCU (and since the original title said Part 1) we can’t expect all the loose ends to be tied up nicely by the time the credits roll. But what we can expect is absolute, action-packed insanity. With so much time in front of the camera, contracts running out, and such high stakes, I would anticipate the beginning of a sizable body count among everyone involved. Avengers: Infinity War comes out May 4th.

6. Deadpool 2

Alright, be honest: Did you actually think Deadpool would be good? We all had hopes and the marketing was promising, but did anyone truly think the first movie would actually be as good as hoped? Not only did the first movie manage to be an absolute joy that managed to stay faithful to the source material, but it showed that R-rated superhero movies in the current film climate could be profitable and that, with the right people involved, you don’t have to be released during the summer blockbuster season or the end of the year to make a metric assload of money (which I fully expect a joke about in the new film since it will be released in the summer). Deadpool 2 has the same cast and writers and they look to capture lightning in a bottle once again when it hits theaters June 1st.

7. Annihilation

Based on the first book in a series of novels by Jeff VanderMeer, a group of scientists explore a mysterious area to find out what happened to the previous exploration group. That alone would’ve made me interested, but the trailers have helped illustrate the dread and tension that permeates the books. Plus I like Natalie Portman. Annihilation comes to theaters February 23rd.

8. Sicario 2: Soldado

Image via Sony Pictures Entertainment

Have I ever told you how much I love Sicario? I haven’t? Then allow me to: I LOVE SICARIO. Denis Villeneuve managed to bring together a tight, condensed story, brutal bursts of violence, and unending tension into a damn fine piece of film making. This time, Villeneuve has been traded in for Stefano Sollima, a staple in the police/crime-drama genre of Italian television. Where the first film was focused on Agent Macer’s struggle to understand and survive the world of fighting cartels alongside the mysterious Alejandro Gillick, this time, Gillick (who was played masterfully by Benicio del Toro) takes center stage in all-out war against the cartels. Sicario 2: Soldado hits theaters June 29th.

9. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

If you remember back to my teaser analysis and my review of Murder on the Orient Express, I made it aware of how much I love dinosaurs and the Jurassic Park franchise. While the full trailer left quite a few viewers uninterested at best, I just can’t agree with them. Maybe it’s because I turn to butter when watching these films thanks to my childhood of watching them, but the introduction of new dinosaurs and an extinction-level event on the island is what I’ve been hoping for. Director J.A. Bayona has said that this will be much darker than the previous film, much like The Lost World was. Give me dinosaurs and tasty humans and I’m game for whatever you’ve got planned. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom roars into theaters June 22nd.

10. A Quiet Place

I’m a huge fan of horror movies, believe it or not. Sure, the overall quality of the genre over the last while has gone so far off the deep end that you’d be able to find its corpse in the wreckage of the Titanic, but there have been some gems recently, and A Quiet Place looks to join that group. John Krasinski directed, helped write, and stars in this supernatural horror about a family who must live as quietly as possible due to the creatures that surround their home. We’ve seen horror explore not being able to hear the threat (Hush) and we all know that a staple of horror is hiding from the killer, but I honestly can’t think of a movie where the whole aspect is silence. An intriguing premise and a talented pair with Krasinski and Emily Blunt at the lead has me excited. A Quiet Place brings the scares on April 6th.

Those are my ten most anticipated movies of 2018. There’s so many more that could’ve been mentioned, but we’d be here forever. Let me know what you’re most excited for in 2018.